Mr. Speaker, last June I asked the Prime Minister why he approved Anbang’s billion-dollar takeover of B.C. care homes. “If the company dissolves, who will gain control of our seniors care facilities? Are seniors in my riding going to find out that their landlord is the People’s Republic of China?”

On Friday we learned the answer. It is yes. Communist China is now their landlord. How could they ever have thought that this was an acceptable outcome for our seniors? How will the minister explain this mess to our vulnerable seniors?

Mr. Speaker, as we do with all investments under the ICA, we are actively monitoring Cedar Tree, because it has made a number of commitments in its takeover of the seniors homes. We are monitoring those commitments. Our officials remain closely engaged with Cedar Tree, the Canadian operator of the homes, to verify that its investment continues to be made under the conditions under which it was allowed to do it.

Due to confidentiality provisions in the Investment Canada Act, I cannot comment further than that.

Mr. Speaker, Anbang Insurance is a massive Chinese corporation that is mired in corruption and scandal. The Conservatives warned the Liberal government not to allow Anbang to buy up B.C. seniors homes, but they rubber-stamped the sale anyway. Now the Chinese government has seized control of the company. That means that the Communist regime in China will now be collecting rent cheques from B.C. seniors.

When will the government apologize for allowing that to happen and for allowing Communist China to become the landlords of B.C.’s vulnerable seniors?

Mr. Speaker, while the opposition might engage in scare tactics and fearmongering, let us talk about the facts. The day-to-day operations of the seniors homes remain under the control of Cedar Tree. They continue to be managed by Retirement Concepts, the same management that was there before. The residences continue to be subject to the same provincial health regulations they have always been subject to. The residents and health care workers will continue to be protected under the same legislation and regulations as before.

As we have said before, we continue to actively monitor Cedar Tree and its compliance with its legal obligations.

Source: openparliament.ca

Advertisements

Share this:

Like this:

ArmchairMayor.ca is a forum about Kamloops and the world. It has more than one million views.
Mel Rothenburger is the former Editor of The Daily News in Kamloops, B.C. (retiring in 2012), and past mayor of Kamloops (1999-2005). At ArmchairMayor.ca he is the publisher, editor, news editor, city editor, reporter, webmaster, and just about anything else you can think of. He is grateful for the contributions of several local columnists.
This blog doesn't require a subscription but gratefully accepts donations to help defray costs.

7 Comments on IN THE HOUSE – ‘People’s Republic of China is now our seniors’ landlord’

Come on now, apart from the dramatics let’s stop and think. The asset, being the building and the contents basically can not be moved. The employees and the management are Canadian.
The purchases to operate and maintain the facility are made locally. The income to operate comes from the people using the facility. The laws governing all aspects of the Care Home are in place and enforced in the city, province and the country of Canada. If push comes to shove, the facility can be effectively maintained and operated by Canadians for Canadians.
Please tell us how ownership can impact grandma who is living in the facility, other than for perhaps a very short period of time, if any. Don’t say that foreign ownership can raise rents to a point of being unaffordable, or price gouging develops, because you will be protected by early rent controls put in place by the governing party having jurisdiction, especially if the attempt is coming from offshore.

Your comments suggest to me that you haven’t had the joy of dealing with a loved one in a care home. There are good ones, certainly, but there are also bad ones. I won’t comment on which category the local Anbang-owned facility fits best, because I have no direct experience to offer. However, I think it would be straight-forward enough to find relatives who could offer their observations into the various local facilities. I suspect many would disagree with your opinion.

I agree with B.It seems to me that you want to live in some kind of dreamland.There is no limit to what the new dictator in China is capable of .You well know know that gov’t and and authorities act at a glacial pace when it comes to foreign investors.Give your head a shake and take another look

How any part of this ‘deal’ was in the best interests of Canadians, I really have no idea. If there isn’t something wonderful in the mix for us, then why did our elected representatives allow the deal to proceed? Here I was, naively thinking that they were elected to work for us, and to look after our best interests… but apparently not. In that case, why are they drawing a salary at all?

The Chinese have kept the capitalist dream alive, using our resources and flooding us with cheap junk we don’t need but we do crave. Here in B.C. rampant speculation in the real estate sector has kept our provincial economy humming…they’ve also help in building the railroads hence Canada. Now why does she have a problem with the Chinese?

The Tyee on Monday, yesterday, has some #s that are poor even before the Chinese takeover because the BC Liberals did not care either.
1-Mackenzie’s annual review found only 15 per cent of facilities were meeting the BC guideline of 3.36 hours of direct care per resident per day.
2- “25% of residents were prescribed antipsychotic medications without a diagnosis of psychosis,” Mackenzie noted. Almost half, 48%, were on antidepressants, even though only 24% had been diagnosed with depression.

Thank you Cathy for standing up for seniors.in BC and elsewhere it is imparative that ownership and ultimate control of these centers remain in Canadian hands.To have a foreign country controlling the day to day existance of our citizens is unconscionable.This will cause many Canadian citizens to look elsewhere for end of life or palliative care.
Shame on the liberals for selling our future.:
Personally I would rather end my own life than entrust it to any foriegn culture or economy.Especially one that has such an abissmal human rights history.Do you want my death on your hands Mr. Lametti ????